"Mäg þäs þonne ofþyncan þeóden Heaðobeardna
"and þegna gehwâm þâra leóda,
2035 "þonne he mid fæmnan on flett gæð,
"dryht-bearn Dena duguða biwenede:
"on him gladiað gomelra lâfe
"heard and hring-mæl, Heaðobeardna gestreón,
"þenden hie þâm wæpnum wealdan môston,
2040 "ôð þät hie forlæddan tô þam lind-plegan
"swæse gesîðas ond hyra sylfra feorh.
"Þonne cwið ät beóre, se þe beáh gesyhð,
"eald äsc-wîga, se þe eall geman
"gâr-cwealm gumena (him bið grim sefa),
2045 "onginneð geômor-môd geongne cempan
"þurh hreðra gehygd higes cunnian,
"wîg-bealu weccean and þät word âcwyð:
"'Meaht þu, mîn wine, mêce gecnâwan,
"'þone þin fäder tô gefeohte bär
2050 "'under here-grîman hindeman sîðe,
"'dýre îren, þær hyne Dene slôgon,
"'weóldon wäl-stôwe, syððan wiðer-gyld läg,
"'äfter häleða hryre, hwate Scyldungas?
"'Nu her þâra banena byre nât-hwylces,
2055 "'frätwum hrêmig on flet gæð,
"'morðres gylpeð and þone mâððum byreð,
"'þone þe þu mid rihte rædan sceoldest!'"
"Manað swâ and myndgað mæla gehwylce
"sârum wordum, ôð þät sæl cymeð,
2060 "þät se fæmnan þegn fore fäder dædum
"äfter billes bite blôd-fâg swefeð,
"ealdres scyldig; him se ôðer þonan
"losað lifigende, con him land geare.
"Þonne bióð brocene on bâ healfe
2065 "âð-sweord eorla; syððan Ingelde
"weallað wäl-nîðas and him wîf-lufan
"äfter cear-wälmum côlran weorðað.
"Þý ic Heaðobeardna hyldo ne telge,
"dryht-sibbe dæl Denum unfæcne,
2070 "freónd-scipe fästne. Ic sceal forð sprecan
"gen ymbe Grendel, þät þu geare cunne,
"sinces brytta, tô hwan syððan wearð
"hond-ræs häleða. Syððan heofones gim
"glâd ofer grundas, gäst yrre cwom,
2075 "eatol æfen-grom, ûser neósan,
"þær we gesunde säl weardodon;
"þær wäs Hondsció hild onsæge,
"feorh-bealu fægum, he fyrmest läg,
"gyrded cempa; him Grendel wearð,
2080 "mærum magu-þegne tô mûð-bonan,
"leófes mannes lîc eall forswealg.
"Nô þý ær ût þâ gen îdel-hende
"bona blôdig-tôð bealewa gemyndig,
"of þam gold-sele gongan wolde,
2085 "ac he mägnes rôf mîn costode,
"grâpode gearo-folm. Glôf hangode
"sîd and syllîc searo-bendum fäst,
"sió wäs orþoncum eall gegyrwed
"deófles cräftum and dracan fellum:
2090 "he mec þær on innan unsynnigne,
"diór dæd-fruma, gedôn wolde,
"manigra sumne: hyt ne mihte swâ,
"syððan ic on yrre upp-riht âstôd.
"Tô lang ys tô reccenne, hû ic þam leód-sceaðan
2095 "yfla gehwylces ond-leán forgeald;
"þær ic, þeóden mîn, þîne leóde
"weorðode weorcum. He on weg losade,
"lytle hwîle lîf-wynna breác;
"hwäðre him sió swîðre swaðe weardade
2100 "hand on Hiorte and he heán þonan,
"môdes geômor mere-grund gefeóll.
"Me þone wäl-ræs wine Scildunga
"fättan golde fela leánode,
"manegum mâðmum, syððan mergen com
2105 "and we tô symble geseten häfdon.
"Þær wäs gidd and gleó; gomela Scilding
"fela fricgende feorran rehte;
"hwîlum hilde-deór hearpan wynne,
"gomen-wudu grêtte; hwîlum gyd âwräc
2110 "sôð and sârlîc; hwîlum syllîc spell
"rehte äfter rihte rûm-heort cyning.
"Hwîlum eft ongan eldo gebunden,
"gomel gûð-wîga gioguðe cwîðan
"hilde-strengo; hreðer inne weóll,
2115 "þonne he wintrum frôd worn gemunde.
"Swâ we þær inne andlangne däg
"nióde nâman, ôð þät niht becwom
"ôðer tô yldum. Þâ wäs eft hraðe
"gearo gyrn-wräce Grendeles môdor,
2120 "sîðode sorh-full; sunu deáð fornam,
"wîg-hete Wedra. Wîf unhýre
"hyre bearn gewräc, beorn âcwealde
"ellenlîce; þær wäs Äsc-here,
"frôdan fyrn-witan, feorh ûðgenge;
2125 "nôðer hy hine ne môston, syððan mergen cwom,
"deáð-wêrigne Denia leóde
"bronde forbärnan, ne on bæl hladan
"leófne mannan: hió þät lîc ätbär
"feóndes fäðmum under firgen-streám.
2130 "Þät wäs Hrôðgâre hreówa tornost
"þâra þe leód-fruman lange begeâte;
"þâ se þeóden mec þîne lîfe
"healsode hreóh-môd, þät ic on holma geþring
"eorl-scipe efnde, ealdre genêðde,
2135 "mærðo fremede: he me mêde gehêt.
"Ic þâ þäs wälmes, þe is wîde cûð,
"grimne gryrelîcne grund-hyrde fond.
"Þær unc hwîle wäs hand gemæne;
"holm heolfre weóll and ic heáfde becearf
2140 "in þam grund-sele Grendeles môdor
"eácnum ecgum, unsôfte þonan
"feorh ôðferede; näs ic fæge þâ gyt,
"ac me eorla hleó eft gesealde
"mâðma menigeo, maga Healfdenes.
XXXI. HE GIVES PRESENTS TO HYGELAC. HYGELAC REWARDS HIM. HYGELAC'S DEATH.
BEÓWULF REIGNS.
2145 "Swâ se þeód-kyning þeáwum lyfde;
"nealles ic þâm leánum forloren häfde,
"mägnes mêde, ac he me mâðmas geaf,
"sunu Healfdenes, on sînne sylfes dôm;
"þâ ic þe, beorn-cyning, bringan wylle,
2150 "êstum geýwan. Gen is eall ät þe
"lissa gelong: ic lyt hafo
"heáfod-mâga, nefne Hygelâc þec!"
Hêt þâ in beran eafor, heáfod-segn,
heaðo-steápne helm, hâre byrnan,
2155 gûð-sweord geatolîc, gyd äfter wräc:
"Me þis hilde-sceorp Hrôðgâr sealde,
"snotra fengel, sume worde hêt,
"þät ic his ærest þe eft gesägde,
"cwäð þät hyt häfde Hiorogâr cyning,
2160 "leód Scyldunga lange hwîle:
"nô þý ær suna sînum syllan wolde,
"hwatum Heorowearde, þeáh he him hold wære,
"breóst-gewædu. Brûc ealles well!"
Hýrde ic þät þâm frätwum feówer mearas
2165 lungre gelîce lâst weardode,
äppel-fealuwe; he him êst geteáh
meara and mâðma. Swâ sceal mæg dôn,
nealles inwit-net ôðrum bregdan,
dyrnum cräfte deáð rênian
2170 hond-gesteallan. Hygelâce wäs,
nîða heardum, nefa swýðe hold
and gehwäðer ôðrum hrôðra gemyndig.
Hýrde ic þät he þone heals-beáh Hygde gesealde,
wrätlîcne wundur-mâððum, þone þe him Wealhþeó geaf,
2175 þeódnes dôhtor, þrió wicg somod
swancor and sadol-beorht; hyre syððan wäs
äfter beáh-þege breóst geweorðod.
Swâ bealdode bearn Ecgþeówes,
guma gûðum cûð, gôdum dædum,
2180 dreáh äfter dôme, nealles druncne slôg
heorð-geneátas; näs him hreóh sefa,
ac he man-cynnes mæste cräfte
gin-fästan gife, þe him god sealde,
heóld hilde-deór. Heán wäs lange,
2185 swâ hyne Geáta bearn gôdne ne tealdon,
ne hyne on medo-bence micles wyrðne
drihten wereda gedôn wolde;
swýðe oft sägdon, þät he sleac wære,
äðeling unfrom: edwenden cwom
2190 tîr-eádigum menn torna gehwylces.
Hêt þâ eorla hleó in gefetian,
heaðo-rôf cyning, Hrêðles lâfe,
golde gegyrede; näs mid Geátum þâ
sinc-mâððum sêlra on sweordes hâd;
2195 þät he on Biówulfes bearm âlegde,
and him gesealde seofan þûsendo,
bold and brego-stôl. Him wäs bâm samod
on þam leód-scipe lond gecynde,
eard êðel-riht, ôðrum swîðor
2200 sîde rîce, þam þær sêlra wäs.
Eft þät geiode ufaran dôgrum
hilde-hlämmum, syððan Hygelâc läg
and Heardrêde hilde-mêceas
under bord-hreóðan tô bonan wurdon,
2205 þâ hyne gesôhtan on sige-þeóde
hearde hilde-frecan, Heaðo-Scilfingas,
nîða genægdan nefan Hererîces.
Syððan Beówulfe brâde rîce
on hand gehwearf: he geheóld tela
2210 fîftig wintru (wäs þâ frôd cyning,
eald êðel-weard), ôð þät ân ongan
deorcum nihtum draca rîcsian,
se þe on heáre hæðe hord beweotode,
stân-beorh steápne: stîg under läg,
2215 eldum uncûð. Þær on innan gióng
niða nât-hwylces neóde gefêng
hæðnum horde hond . d . . geþ . . hwylc
since fâhne, he þät syððan . . . . .
. . . þ . . . lð . þ . . l . g
2220 slæpende be fýre, fyrena hyrde
þeófes cräfte, þät sie . . . . ðioð . . . . .
. idh . folc-beorn, þät he gebolgen wäs.